Bass: The CKN70's have the thickest and the most quantity. The 400 and 900 are quite equal in quantity. As for quality, some might find the 70's to be not as good as the other two because of the abundance but I prefer a little more bass so I enjoy it quite a bit. But, the 400's never have too much bass and sounds about perfect in quality and quantity. The 900's are close to the 400's but reaches a little deeper but doesn't hold the note as long.

Midrange/Vocals: All three do vocals quite well. Not sure which one I prefer over the other. I still have problems with the 70's with sibilance. And that's with 350 plus hours of burn in. It's too bad because it's an exceptional phone otherwise. For male vocals, I'd give an edge to the RE400. It adds a little more heft to the vocals. As for female vocals, the AD900X might have the upper edge with the airiness. All three phones have forward vocals so it's hard to lose in this category but the 70's lose out for me because of that sibilance.

Treble: I find the RE400's more refined than the other two. It's sparkly but not as peaky. I found several tunes to sound thin compared. The 400's have a good balance in the lower and upper treble without reaching any edginess. The Audio Technica's seem to miss some region in the lower treble and spiked in the upper region. I don't read graphs and probably don't know what I'm talking about here so take it with a grain of salt. I should also mention that the 900X's don't behave like this as much as the 70's do but compared to the 400's, it sounds a little thinner somewhere in the upper treble area. I guess the treble of the 400's sound more balanced all around. I'm very picky when it comes to treble.

I find that the 400's have excellent instrument separation. It has a nice width and depth. The 900's are wide and open. Very airy. 70's are deeper than wide. Can't really give an edge to any since they all sound good with different music. Safest bet would be the 400's for its balance.

With the genres you mentioned, I think it's the safest bet is to go for the 400's or the 900's. The 400's will do better with male vocals and possibly guitar when it comes to rock music but folk and acoustic music sounds mighty good with the 900X and is hard to beat. The 400's are the easiest to recommend because it has the best balance of the three but some might find it a bit boring. I've heard other Hifiman's before and I can recommend the 400's the easiest because this one actually doesn't really lack in any area.

Thanks for the reply Danny! Really appreciate the help! :-) any other phones I should be looking for in the $200 category that would fit in with my preferences (folk, acoustic, alternative-type music, with a preference for male voices and guitar)? Would like to hear you all out :-)

Now, I have a question for you, quisxx: How do the mids and highs of the FXZ200 compare to those of the CKS77?

Both (to me) sound better on the FXZ200. The mids are balanced veeery well with the bass. They don't hide behind the bass or sound thin/hollow they sound great to me. Highs are fantastic here also. They reach high without being shiny bright (yea I used that as a term lol). The highs are less fatiguing on the FXZ compared to my 77's. Add these factors in with the massive sound stage (these really do sound close to cans rather than IEM's, which took some getting used to at first), and DAT SUBWOOFER, and there isn't another IEM i'd rather have.

Disclaimer: This is coming from a pure basshead so peoples opinion on quality may differ :)

I bought them when they came out. Not bad but not great either..They have somewhat of a wow factor because of the big bass they have but much like other cheaper big bass phones they lack any real definition and stage as well.. They are the type of phones you give to a nephew that is starting out listening to headphones and you don't want to spend that much.. I would pass and go straight to an HA-S500.

I was doing a little comparison on the ele and the ele-plastique when I hit a snag. I noticed that the channels were swapped like some when they bought the ele. With that issue aside, I did notice that the ele-plastique's highs were more forward. It messes with the instrument placement. cymbals seemed like they were in front of the singer while the drums were still behind. Made for some really weird imaging. I'll need to spend more time on my computer instead of the s3 via otg from my bed so I can at least swap the channels via software. More to come.

Those have reverse sound. I would contact the vendors as those are made in the US and see about getting a proper one. Gotta get your moneys worth..

In other news I survived my first quiz.. My brain feels like mush as I seem to have overstudied if there is such a thing. Crazy is the nervous system..It all seems like foreign language to me.

I tried to listen to music while I study..Don't seem to work.. A big mug of green tea does the trick but I miss my music listening sessions..I did have a thought on the whole listening to music while I study..I think if the instructors would let me.. I am wondering if study while having music on and then taking a test while having the same music on would help remember the stuff.

Na I doubt it. Wishful thinking..I am going through music withdrawl..I went from listening to music all day to reading Anatomy and Physiology stuff all day. Fun.

Now, I have a question for you, quisxx: How do the mids and highs of the FXZ200 compare to those of the CKS77?

Both (to me) sound better on the FXZ200. The mids are balanced veeery well with the bass. They don't hide behind the bass or sound thin/hollow they sound great to me. Highs are fantastic here also. They reach high without being shiny bright (yea I used that as a term lol). The highs are less fatiguing on the FXZ compared to my 77's. Add these factors in with the massive sound stage (these really do sound close to cans rather than IEM's, which took some getting used to at first), and DAT SUBWOOFER, and there isn't another IEM i'd rather have.

Disclaimer: This is coming from a pure basshead so peoples opinion on quality may differ :)

You sold your FXZ200 and bought another pair again, or you just didn't sell them but posted a "SOLD" notice in order to close the classified?

Those have reverse sound. I would contact the vendors as those are made in the US and see about getting a proper one. Gotta get your moneys worth..

In other news I survived my first quiz.. My brain feels like mush as I seem to have overstudied if there is such a thing. Crazy is the nervous system..It all seems like foreign language to me.

I tried to listen to music while I study..Don't seem to work.. A big mug of green tea does the trick but I miss my music listening sessions..I did have a thought on the whole listening to music while I study..I think if the instructors would let me.. I am wondering if study while having music on and then taking a test while having the same music on would help remember the stuff.

Na I doubt it. Wishful thinking..I am going through music withdrawl..I went from listening to music all day to reading Anatomy and Physiology stuff all day. Fun.

You guys enjoy your nice phones and your music for me..

^ LoL, i can't study if there is a lot of noise around me as well. Let alone listing to music HA!, but some people can't study without listening to music. Different strokes for different folks i guess.

I highly doubt it's gonna fly if you get to listen to your cans/ iems while taking a test. LMAO You can be listening to your recordings of the test materials durrrr!!!

Stick with that green tea meng, the powder version is pretty testy. YUMMMM Green tea icecream.

Happy studying Ds, i am sure you can find some free time to relax to with your cans/ music. Remember all work and no play makes jack a dull boy.

Those have reverse sound. I would contact the vendors as those are made in the US and see about getting a proper one. Gotta get your moneys worth..

Yeah, but that means I gotta start the burn in process all over again. :( I contacted the seller last night and he's shipping me a new one with the channels corrected. And then throw that one on the burner again.